Nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr) spectroscopy will be used to determine configurations of the enolate anions of beta-diketones as well as barriers to configurational change. The importance of steric and electronic factors as well as ionic bonding on configurational preferences and torsional barriers will be investigated. A method for investigation of ionic bonding of alkali metal cations by neutral ligands (ionophores) will be developed using, as a basis, the dependence of stereochemistry of enolate anions on ionic bonding. This method will be utilized to study entropic as well as enthalpic factors on the complexation of alkali metal cations by ionophores. The method will also be used to determine relative complexing abilities of ionophores toward each other and toward different cations.